


Surprise, Baby! Part 1 - Hajime

by KyoruQueens



Series: Surprise, Baby! [1]
Category: Fruits Basket, Fruits Basket - Takaya Natsuki (Manga)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Manga Spoilers, Pregnancy, post-manga
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:41:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24780973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KyoruQueens/pseuds/KyoruQueens
Summary: “Uo-chan, I...it’s not negative.”“It’s not negative? You mean that it’s positive? What does it say?”“It says...Uo-chan, it says...pregnant.”In which Tohru and the rest of the Sohmas discover her first pregnancy.
Relationships: Honda Tohru/Sohma Kyou, Kuragi Machi/Sohma Yuki
Series: Surprise, Baby! [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1792327
Comments: 27
Kudos: 230





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> This was written by two people taking turns with passages. We stan two cute dumbasses!

Tohru woke up early that morning feeling nauseous. After realizing that she wouldn’t be going back to sleep anytime soon, she rose carefully so as to not wake Kyo and went to the kitchen to make some tea, hoping that would settle her stomach. She needed to be feeling in tip top shape before leaving for work later.

She sat in front of the TV while she sipped, trying to ignore her discomfort.

The tea didn’t help much.

By the time Kyo ambled out of the bedroom some time later, hair unkempt and rubbing his eyes, she had finished her tea and had become concerned about the content of her stomach going through with its threats. She had considered going to the bathroom once or twice, but it always settled before it came to that.

“Hey,” Kyo greeted her. “You’re up early.” He came over and gave her a chaste kiss.

“I’m not feeling too well,” she admitted. It wouldn't take him long to figure it out anyway. He could always see straight through her.

Concern crossed his features. “Oh, what’s going on?” He raised his hand to her forehead, but she shook her head.

“Just nausea. It might have been something I ate.”

“We had the same thing for dinner last night, so I don’t know. Do you need to take off work today?”

“Oh no, I’m sure I’ll be fine!”

He looked at her skeptically, but then softened. “Okay, well, I’m gonna make some breakfast. You want some eggs?”

With the thought of eggs, she unintentionally imagined their smell.

Oh no.

It was real this time, she just knew it.

She rushed to stand up, brushed past Kyo, and raced to make it to the bathroom on time.

 _Thank God._ She made it.

She felt Kyo’s hand on her back, the other holding her hair.

Once she finished, she wiped her mouth with a tissue while Kyo said sternly, “You aren’t going to work today.”

She pouted but understood. Slowly, she rose to her feet to brush her teeth.

A few minutes later, Kyo watched while she called the office manager at work to let her know. The manager understood, but explained that if she’s out for more than a day, she’ll need a doctor’s note. Tohru agreed, hoping it would only be today. Maybe she could use the time off to get a few things done around the apartment.

A little while later, she was cocooned in a blanket on the couch with crackers and a new cup of tea on the coffee table in front of her, an empty trash can at her feet. She looked to Kyo, who was showered and dressed, his work bag slung over his shoulder. “Thank you for doing all of this,” she said pitifully.

He leaned over and kissed her forehead before looking her in the eyes and saying sternly, “You call me if you need _anything_ , okay? And _no chores_.” Well, there went her plan to be productive. “I’ll come home at lunch to heat up some soup and check on you. Try to eat some crackers. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

He opened the door but turned to her once more. “You call for _anything_ , you hear me?”

She nodded as vigorously as she could.

“And _no chores_ ,” he repeated. She sighed but nodded again.

With a satisfied nod from him, he left, gently shutting the door behind him.

* * *

It had been a few hours since Kyo left, but Tohru’s nausea had not subsided. She was still glued to the couch, blanket wrapped around her, a bottle of water now at her feet. She sipped from it occasionally, hoping it would work wonders along with the crackers. Why was this feeling not subsiding? What could she have eaten that would have upset her stomach so much?

The TV had been on for hours now, the daytime options becoming too cheesy for even Tohru to handle. Clicking the TV off, she had a thought. Maybe she would call Uo for a chat. That might take her mind off of her nausea. And besides, it had been a week or so since their last chat.

Grabbing her phone from the coffee table, she scrolled until she found Uo’s name in her contact list and pressed _call_. Just as it was about to ring out, Uo picked up.

“Tohru!” she yelled down the line excitedly. “You know, I was just thinking about you.”

“You were?” squeaked Tohru, thankful to hear her best friend’s voice.

“Yeah! It’s been a little while since I’ve heard your voice. I know we’ve both been busy, though. So, what’s up? Wait, aren’t you supposed to be at work today?”

Tohru sighed. “I’ve had to call in sick. I felt nauseous this morning and… Kyo thought it was best that I stay home and rest.”

“Well, look at that, Kyo made a smart call. Miracles do happen,” Uo chided. “But seriously Tohru, I know how hard you work. Kyo is right, as much as I hate to say it. You need to take it easy. How are you feeling now?”

Tohru bit her lip, a roiling feeling in her gut sending a fresh wave of nausea over her. “Not so good.”

“Did you eat something funky? You know, I read something the other day about a particular species of cod, that if you don’t wash it right, it can--”

Just the thought of fish, the smell of it, the slimey feel of its flesh, sent Tohru over the edge. She ran to the bathroom, dropping her phone beside the toilet and emptying her stomach into the bowl. All the crackers and water she had been snacking on and sipping on today had not been doing what she had hoped.

Tohru reached for her phone hurriedly after she was done, hearing Uo yelling for her down the phone. “I’m so sorry Uo,” cried Tohru, wiping her eyes and heading over to the sink to wash her mouth out. “I didn’t mean for you to hear that. I’m so sorry!”

“Tohru, it’s okay. You don’t need to apologise. Sheesh, you’re scaring me, girl,” she said, worry lacing her voice. “Kyo better be coming back to check on you today.”

Tohru nodded. “Yes! He’s coming back at lunch time. Oh Uo. I don’t have time to be sick! I just wish I knew why I’m feeling this way so I could fix it.”

Uo barked a laugh. “Who knows, maybe you’re pregnant!”

Uo continued to laugh down the phone. Tohru started to laugh too, but stopped abruptly, a feeling other than nausea coiling in her stomach. Her hand flew to her mouth, her eyes wide.

That night a couple of weeks ago. The night it was late and she and Kyo couldn’t contain themselves; control themselves. She had realised the day after that he hadn’t worn protection the night before, but reasoned with herself that it would be fine; it was only the once and they were safe every other time. There was no way she could be pregnant, was there? No, surely not.

Unless…

“Tohru?” Uo’s concerned tone drilled down the line. “Are you there?”

“Yes,” Tohru whispered, sinking down to the floor.

“You aren’t pregnant… are you, Tohru?”

Tohru knew it then. She had a feeling. She didn’t know how she knew or why - she just did.

She was going to throw up again. And it wasn’t because of the nausea.

She groaned into the phone, trying to hold back the need to cry and the need to vomit.

“Tohru, please answer me. Are you okay?”

Tohru took a shaky breath and was about to reassure her friend that she was fine, of course, nothing was wrong, but when she opened her mouth to speak, a sob came out instead.

“Oh my god, Tohru! What’s going on? Are you alright?”

Tohru sniffed. “I… I think you’re right,” she sobbed.

“Okay. Tohru.” Uo’s voice was hard and steady now, for which Tohru was grateful. She needed something to cling onto. “Take a deep breath.” She paused, and Tohru obeyed. It helped a bit. “Now. Why do you think you’re pregnant?”

“Um...well, there was one time when...when we didn’t…use protection.”

“Okay. When was that?”

“Um, a few weeks ago?”

Uo sucked in a breath. She tried to hide it, but Tohru heard. “Okay. Here’s what you're going to do. Are you listening?”

Tohru whimpered a soft, “Yes.”

“You’re going to get up, you’re going to put pants on if you didn’t already. You’re going to walk to the nearest pharmacy, and you’re going to buy a pregnancy test. Okay?”

“Okay,” Tohru squeaked.

“And when you get back home, you’re going to take the test and see what it says. You’re not going to worry about what happens after that, your only focus is getting and taking the test. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“I would be happy to be on the line the whole time or when you take the test or whatever you want. Okay?”

“Okay, I’ll...I’ll call you when I get back home. But will you stay on the line with me for a bit now? I’d like to wait until this afternoon so that I’m not gone when Kyo-kun gets here for lunch.” The last thing she wanted to do was explain to him why she was gone. If she told him she’d gone to pick up medicine for her nausea, he would admonish her for not asking him to do it.

“Of course, whatever you need.”

Tohru sighed in relief. She really had the best friends in the world.

They tried to talk about other things in the time being. Uo explained since she can’t do anything about it now, she’d have to try and not worry about it. And Tohru did try. But their whole conversation seemed trivial with the word “pregnant” ever hanging in Tohru’s mind. Finally, she asked Uo about her own life, which kept Tohru’s attention more efficiently. Eventually, she heard the front door unlocking and realized she was still on the bathroom floor.

“Tohru?” Kyo’s voice called from the living room.

“Oh, Uo-chan, Kyo is here.”

“Okay, you’ve got this. Call me whenever you need me. Love you!”

“I love you too, Uo-chan.” They hung up. Tohru felt her eyes well up with the stress of having to pretend everything was normal. He would see it right away. Maybe she would just pretend that she was sicker than she thought, and that’s why she was so stressed.

Slowly, she rose and called out to him. “Hi!”

He rounded the corner of the bathroom. “Hey, I was afraid you were up doing something.”

“I was just talking to Uo-chan.”

“In the bathroom?”

“I got sick again.”

“Oh.” He softened, and came up to kiss her forehead. Feeling him this close, she desperately wanted to break down and sob into his chest. He always knew how to comfort her. But the last thing she wanted was for him to worry about this too. And who knows? Maybe she was just being crazy, maybe she wasn’t pregnant at all. But she couldn’t ignore that sure feeling in the pit of her stomach. She knew.

“Were you able to eat anything?” Kyo’s question brought her out of her thoughts.

“Yes, but then it didn’t matter.” They both grimaced.

“Okay, well, I’ll heat you up some broth. Maybe that’ll help.”

“Thank you, Kyo-kun. Would you like me to fix you some lunch?”

He glanced at her sideways. “Absolutely not. You rest. You can cook for me again when you’re feeling better.” He tucked her hair behind her ear, and left towards the kitchen. 

It wasn’t too long before she had hot broth in front of her as she sat on the couch. He had heated up some leftovers for himself while she tried to sip carefully. He seemed suspicious that something was up, but didn’t ask about it, and Tohru would be forever grateful. Maybe she was playing up the sickness well. Not that it was all that difficult. She felt like death.

After he finished eating with her, he washed up, asked if she needed anything else, reminded her to call for anything, and said his goodbyes.

She’d made it. Now she only had to fight through the nausea long enough to get to the store. And take the test. And see that it’s positive. And then, oh god, what then? She could feel her breaths starting to come faster but remembered Uo’s words: “You only focus on getting and taking the test.” She took a deep breath, trying to focus on her next step.

She steadied herself and went to her bedroom, slowly getting dressed out of her pajamas. Once she looked decent, she tied her hair into a ponytail with a ribbon that she found on her chest of drawers. Looking in her mirror, her face looked a shade of green, the nausea still well and truly brewing in her stomach. She took a deep breath, grabbed her wallet, keys and phone off of the drawers and headed out the front door.

The day was warm, the sun not too harsh. The fresh air was a welcome reprieve, slightly alleviating her sickness. The pharmacy wasn’t far, and hopefully this walk in the sun is what her body needed.

Rounding the corner, she smelt the distinct smell of takoyaki from the stall down the road. She clasped her hand over her mouth, that familiar feeling crawling back up her throat.. She swallowed the nausea down, trying to block her nose from the stench of the seafood. Hurriedly, almost in a run, she went past the stall, holding her nose for the next couple of blocks just in case. She loosened her grip eventually and took a deep, welcomed breath, relieved she had made her way to the pharmacy.

Stepping inside, there were only a few people milling about. Tohru kept her head down as she walked through the aisles, the risk of bumping into someone she knew making her anxiety go through the roof.

She stopped in front of the pregnancy tests, scanning over each different brand. There were so many, how on earth would she choose?

Reaching out to one of the more expensive digital tests, she took it and held it tucked by her side until she reached the counter. Handing it to the sales assistant took all her courage, a furious blush all over her face. The sales assistant didn’t seem to notice, taking Tohru’s money and handing her the test in a brown paper bag like she was simply buying paracetamol.

The whole way home, Tohru felt as if she was carrying something illicit, her nerves hitting new levels. She had even forgotten about her nausea for a moment, her fear the only thing on her mind.

Finally reaching home, she dumped her wallet and keys down on the dining room table and ran to the bathroom, phone and test in hand. She carefully opened the box and took the test out, her hands shaking. She began to read the instructions, reading every last word, not wanting to miss a thing. She was going to initially take the test and then call Uo, but…

She dialled Uo, Uo picking up after just one ring.

“Did you take the test?” Uo whispered down the phone.

“No,” squeaked Tohru, gripping it tightly. “I wanted you to be on the phone with me while I did it.”

“Of course,” said Uo. “Put me on loudspeaker. I’ll be right here.”

Tohru shakily put the phone on loudspeaker and then placed it down on the counter. She sat down on the toilet, the test between her legs. Scrunching her eyes shut and taking a breath, she took the test, mortified that Uo would be hearing all kinds of unflattering sounds.

When she was done, she put the test down on the counter and then washed her hands. Picking the phone back up, Tohru said nervously, “I-I took it. It’s still developing.”

“Give it a few minutes,” said Uo, a gentleness in her voice. “Just sit down for a bit and talk to me. Are you okay?”

“I think so,” said Tohru. “What if it’s positive, Uo? How am I going to tell Kyo-kun?”

“By telling him the truth,” said Uo. “Tohru, he loves you more than anything. He’s not going to be cross with you. Sure, this is unexpected and you guys didn’t plan it. But if the test is positive, then there’s something that is for certain: you two will both become parents. Great ones at that. You two love each other, and that baby will be lucky to have you both.”

Tohru sniffled, tears falling down her cheek. “Oh Uo-chan…”

Uo sniffled too. “I think it’s time you had a look at the test, Tohru.”

Tohru knew she was right. It had been a few minutes.

She stood and approached the counter where she had left it. She couldn’t bring herself to look at the test just yet. Instead, she stared into the mirror. Her eyes were red, her face still a shade of green. Her cheeks were wet with her smeared tears. She looked downright pitiful. How could someone so pathetic ever hope to raise a child?

“Tohru?” Uo’s voice sounded a bit far away. “Have you looked?” She said it so gently, as if any more force would have made Tohru crack.

Tohru took a deep breath. _Just look_. Just look, and the not knowing would be over, and the next step could begin. It could even be negative. It could be negative.

 _It could be negative_ , she chanted in her mind.

She glanced down. 

A single word stared back at her from the digital display.

It wasn’t negative.

“Uo-chan…”

“Yeah, Tohru, I’m here, what is it?”

“Uo-chan, I...it’s not negative.”

“It’s not negative? You mean that it’s positive? What does it say?”

“It says...Uo-chan, it says...pregnant.” Her voice came out strained as the lump formed in her throat.

“Okay.” Uo’s voice wavered before stabilizing again. “We can handle that. _You_ can handle that, Tohru.”

“I don’t know, Uo-chan.” The tears started tumbling from her freely now, along with her words. “I don’t even know how I’m going to tell Kyo-kun. He’s told me how afraid he is of having children, he doesn’t want them for a very long time, he’ll be so angry with me for letting this happen, Uo-chan, how will I ever tell him, how will I have the courage, he’ll be so scared and so upset and - “

“Tohru!” Tohru stopped abruptly and hiccuped. “I want you to listen to me very carefully. Are you listening?”

“Yes,” she whimpered.

“Number one. Not using protection was a choice that _both_ of you made. If he were mad at only you, because you’re the one with the uterus, then not only would he be an idiot, he would also be a dick. Number two. That’s not even something you should be worried about. That boy is head over heels for you. Yes, he’ll be scared, yes, maybe a bit upset, but none of that would ever be directed at you. The guy worships the ground you walk on.” Tohru sniffed. “Number three. All you should be thinking about right now is your next step. So you have a choice. You can go ahead and tell him, or you can go to the doctor for a blood test to confirm it before having that conversation. I’ll support whatever you decide. So. What would you like to do?”

“I want to have it confirmed,” Tohru said meekly.

“Great. So tomorrow, you’ll tell Kyo that you’re going to the doctor for your nausea - which you _are_ , technically - go to a clinic, and tell them you had a positive home pregnancy test. They’ll take it from there. You won’t think about what happens after that, only getting to the clinic. Okay?”

Tohru took a deep breath. “Okay.”

“Now, how are you feeling, really?”

“Scared.”

“Okay, what else?”

Tohru thought. She took another deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to look into her heart and beneath her fear. “I wish my mom were here.”

Uo was quiet for a moment, before saying softly, “Me too.”

“And...I know that if this were to happen, then...no matter his reaction, I’m glad that it’s with Kyo-kun.” Tohru’s voice caught. “Even if I had to do it -” _hic_ “- by myself, I’m happy that it’s his.”

“Oh, Tohru...You won’t ever have to do this by yourself. You and Kyo are great partners. You’ll be a wonderful mother, and admittedly, I actually do think he’d make a good dad. You both have a lot of love inside of you. And besides him, you have me, and Hanajima, and the Prince, and all those other Sohmas who love you so much. You’ll be okay, Tohru, I promise.”

Tohru’s voice was small. “Thank you, Uo-chan. I’m so grateful.”

“I only speak the truth.”

A noise from the other room suddenly caught Tohru’s attention. The front door unlocking. Oh god.

“Uo-chan, Kyo is home! He’s early! What do I do?! The test!”

“Okay, close and lock the bathroom door.” Uo spoke quickly, and Tohru obeyed. “Now wrap it in toilet paper and put it in the bottom of the trashcan, or the back of a drawer or somewhere it wouldn't be obvious.”

Tohru wrapped the stick as she was told, opened the drawer by the sink - where she kept her lotions and make-up - and stuffed it into the very back. Some small, weird part of her hated the thought of throwing it away.

“Tohru?” Kyo called from the living room.

“Uo-chan, I have to go! Thank you so much, I love you!”

“Love you, Tohru, good luck!”

They hung up.

“Tohru? Where are you?” Kyo called again, concern in his tone.

She took a deep breath and left the bathroom as calmly as she could, nearly bumping into him as he was heading down the hallway. “I’m so sorry Kyo-kun. I was sick again…”

Kyo’s face softened and he bundled her up in a hug. She wanted to cry, her heart beating so fast. She was afraid he’d be able to read it on her face that something was wrong. That she was hiding something.

Thank goodness for the nausea being her excuse. She never thought she’d say that.

The afternoon carried on normally, the truth eating Tohru up inside. She tried to start prepping for dinner, but Kyo refused, sending her back to the couch again.

“What do you feel like for dinner?” he asked, a tea towel slung across his shoulder. He looked so gorgeous, Tohru wanted to cry.

“I’m not sure I’m too hungry, Kyo-kun…” she said, her face flushed. She didn’t know how to act normal around him. She needed to calm down, or he’d notice. He was good at that; noticing all her little quirks and mannerisms.

“Well, it could be good for you to have something in your stomach. Maybe just some plain rice?” he asked, tapping his chin in thought. “I actually felt like some teriyaki baby octopus tonight.”

Tohru stiffened at the word baby. He continued, unbeknownst to her discomfort. “Maybe the baby octopus with some egg.”

_Baby._

_Egg_.

Tohru leapt up onto her wobbly legs, Kyo running to steady her. “I think I’m just going to head to bed!”

Kyo looked at her, suspicion on his face. “Are you alright? Like, really?”

She felt like she was going to throw up again. “Totally, Kyo-kun! I’m fine! I just need a shower and bed, that’s all!”

He nodded and gave her a kiss on her forehead. “Shower is all yours. Feel free to head to bed after that. I’ll come check on you later.”

She hurried past him and headed to the bathroom, internally cursing herself. She missed him so much when she didn’t see him all day, and now because of this, she couldn’t even be close to him without almost having a panic attack.

This was going to be a long night.


	2. Chapter 2

Tohru sat at the dining table, her phone next to her side. She had been to the local walk-in clinic earlier this morning and had a blood test to confirm her pregnancy. The doctor let her know they would give her a call later this afternoon with her results. She did not want to miss the call, so she stayed at the table with her eyes glued to the phone, waiting for it to ring.

Her nausea had subsided this afternoon after a few crackers and some water. While looking at the front door and having a scenario play in her head of Kyo walking in through the front door and asking her what she was doing, the phone rang, making her jump.

She fumbled for it and answered it breathlessly, her heart thumping against her chest. “Hello?”

“Mrs Sohma? Tohru?” asked the nurse, her tone friendly.

“Yes?” squeaked Tohru, her hands now clammy.

“I have your test results in front of me here. It looks like you’re definitely pregnant, Mrs Sohma. Congratulations!”

Tohru burst into tears, her fear and anxiety bubbling over the edge. The nurse laughed. “Oh, you’re crying you’re so happy! That’s beautiful. Now, Mrs Sohma, I recommend you book a follow up appointment…”

She had stopped listening, the nurse on the phone sounding like white noise. After she had hung up, Tohru stared into space for a few moments, reality settling in.

_ She was pregnant. _

Her hands fell to her stomach, nothing seeming out of the ordinary. But, it was now confirmed. She was pregnant. She was going to have a baby.

She and Kyo were going to have a baby.

Her phone rang again and Tohru didn’t even look at the caller, just clicked the green answer button. She assumed it was the nurse again, calling with some information she missed. “Hello?”   


“Tohru,” Hana’s voice floated down the phone, her calm tone enveloping her. “My dear Tohru.”

“Hana-chan!” Tohru yelled, so grateful to hear from her dear friend. “Oh, Hana, I--”

“Tohru, are you pregnant?”

Tohru stopped. She tried to say something that made sense but everything was incoherent, her hands shaking. Did Uo tell her?

“Uo didn’t tell me anything,” Hana replied like she was reading Tohru’s mind. “I could tell - your waves changed. There was… a different set of waves coming from you. And it wasn’t your own.”

Tohru sniffled, feeling defeated. “Yes, it’s true. I-I’m pregnant.”

“Oh Tohru,” cooed Hana. “You don’t sound happy. Why?”

“I’m so scared, Hana-chan,” blubbered Tohru down the phone. “What if Kyo-kun gets angry? What if he doesn’t want to be a father? What if… what if I’m not a good mum? What if--”

“Sweet Tohru,” said Hana, stopping Tohru from continuing her downward spiral. “Please, listen to what I have to say. I can read your baby’s waves already, even though they are so very young… your baby is going to be kind, loyal, and so incredibly smart. The baby has chosen to come to you and Kyo. This baby is… going to love both of you so, very much. And I just know that you both will provide them the exact same amount of love back. The baby’s waves are gentle, soothing… but also strong and determined. The baby seems to be a lot like both of you already.”

Tohru burst into tears again, this time finding it hard to control her sobbing. What Hana said had struck a chord in her. Hearing all of that… a different kind of love erupted within her. Different to the love she had for Kyo. No, this one was different. She felt a sudden protectiveness wash over her, her hand clutching at her stomach.

“Thank you, Hana-chan,” said Tohru, smiling through her tears. “I think… I think I’m going to tell Kyo-kun this afternoon. When he gets home.”

“You will be a wonderful mother, Tohru,” said Hana, Tohru biting her lip at that to stop more tears from falling. “Your mother would have been… so proud.”

Tohru pictured her mother holding her child; her first grandchild. Her mother would have loved the baby with all her heart, with a ferocity like no other.

Tohru was going to do the same. And she knew, in the end, no matter what - Kyo would too.

For the first time since yesterday, Tohru started to feel an inkling of something besides fear and stress. She was...happy. Just a bit. The fear of telling Kyo and raising the child almost overshadowed the happiness, but it was still there, peeking through like a ray of sunshine through the darkest clouds. Her eyes welled up again at the strange mixture of emotions. 

There was only one more hurdle to cross before she would feel free to lean into the excitement.

“Thank you, Hana-chan. So much. You have no idea how much you mean to me.”

“I love you, Tohru, and I’m so proud of you. I’m always here if you need me.”

“Thank you. That means so much.” Tohru sighed. “I think that maybe I should start thinking of how I’m going to tell Kyo-kun about this.” 

They said a quick, heartfelt goodbye before hanging up. Tohru glanced at the time on her phone. Only about two hours before Kyo would come home.

***

After a long day of being distracted from his work by worry over Tohru, Kyo finally made his way home to see her. Even though she had been sick the past couple of days, something still felt...off. Like there was something bothering her more than her sickness. He hadn’t asked her about it aside from asking if she was okay, trusting that if there really was something else worrying her that she would tell him when she was ready. Still. It was tough to see her like that.

Rounding the final corner into their apartment complex, he wondered what he should make for dinner. Maybe just some soba noodles. Hopefully that wouldn’t upset her stomach too much.

Finally, he arrived, unlocked the door, and went inside. As he entered, Tohru came out of the bedroom. He was glad to see that she wasn’t still stuck in the bathroom today.

“Hey, are you feeling better?”

“Mm, yes.” She looked almost nervous, her fingers clasped in front of her, her eyes looking anywhere but at him. 

“Okay. Um, do you want some noodles for dinner?” He removed his work bag and set it down beside the couch. 

“Sure.” She looked at the floor.

He walked up to her and placed his hands gently on her shoulders. “Hey. Look at me.” Seeming reluctant, she forced her eyes up to his. “Are you really okay?”

She took a shaky breath. “Um, Kyo-kun...can we talk?”

Oh god. What was about to happen? She looked so nervous, he knew it had to be something big. He pushed away all the terrible ideas of what it could be, forcing himself to focus only on her and what it was she needed to say.

“Yeah. Of course.” She walked slowly to the couch and sat down. He followed, feeling like he was walking to the gallows for a hanging.

Once they were both seated, he waited a bit impatiently for her to begin.

“Um. So…,” she began hesitantly. He forced himself to wait, to let her say it at her own pace. She looked like she might throw up again, and he started to realize how hard this must be for her. He decided then, as she seemed to pause to gather some courage, that whatever this was, he would first and foremost make sure that she was okay before allowing himself to give in to whatever emotions might come from him. “Kyo-kun…”

“Yes?”

“Do you, um...do you remember that night a few weeks ago when we...when we made love and we both agreed that it was possibly the best that we had ever had?”

Damn, did he remember that. He could never forget. The way she moaned and cried out underneath him as their hips rolled together in unison, her skin glistening and her face flushed...

Oh god, was she about to say that it was actually terrible, that she faked enjoying it, that he’s truly terrible at having sex, that he could never satisfy her?  _ Stop that _ , he told himself,  _ Let her speak. Don’t jump to any conclusions. _

“Yes, I remember that,” he said simply.

“Well, I’m not sure if you recall, but we didn’t actually use...protection.” She paused to gauge his reaction. A thought began to creep up in the back of his mind. It started small but slowly grew until it finally became clear. He could feel his breaths starting to come more quickly but tried his best to keep his face stoic. “Do you… do you remember that?”

“Mm-hm.” The sound came out as more of a squeak through his tight lips.

“Well, I think...no I don’t think, I actually know, Kyo-kun, that I…” He braced himself for impact. “I’m pregnant.”

For a moment, he couldn’t hear anything. He was frozen. No thoughts would come as her words echoed in his mind.  _ I’m pregnant. I’m pregnant. Pregnant. _

“Kyo-kun?” Her voice was far away, but the concern and fear on her face brought him back down to earth. As his eyes focused on her face, he realized that she looked… truly terrified. Of what, him? Of his reaction? Something clicked inside of him, and his mind shifted completely to focus on her.

He got down onto his knees in front of her, looking up at her ashen face. Taking her hands in his, he realised that she was trembling. Was she really this fearful of his reaction? He made an executive decision then - he would not let her fears be warranted.

“Tohru,” he said gently. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you, forever and always. You are everything to me. I knew down the line this day would come. Even though it’s not planned, or expected, that doesn’t change the fact that this baby… is ours. A part of you and a part of me. I love you, Tohru. That will never change. And I’m going to love this baby -  _ our  _ baby - just as much.”

Tohru burst into tears then, a true, guttural sob erupting from her. He bundled her in his arms and she fell into his lap, her body shaking from the force of her cry. This wasn’t a normal Tohru type of cry. No, this was something more raw. The type of cry she let out when the curse broke. Something like… relief spilling out from her.

He held her while she sobbed, trying not to get too worked up just yet. He was impressed by how much his resolve had held together. He would not be the reason for her fear, her anxiety, or stress.

“You’re really not mad, Kyo-kun?” she sniffled, trying to break through her sobs.

He shook his head and kissed her forehead. “Of course not. Never at you, Tohru. Never over something like this.”

She sobbed again, holding onto his shirt tightly, her tears staining right through. He continued to hold her, trying to keep his breaths steady.

A few more loud sobs and she calmed down to a sniffle, rubbing her eyes and wiping away the tears. She looked up at him, her beautiful brown eyes red and watery. “You… you are going to be a wonderful father, Kyo-kun.”

Kyo blanched. He had held it together, until now. Reality of the situation had really started to sink in, his fears and worries now plaguing his mind. She noticed straight away, her lip wavering. “What’s wrong? You can talk to me, Kyo-kun. You can tell me anything.”

He sighed, brushing her hair behind her ear. “I don’t want my fears to burden you. To burden this… this beautiful baby.”

She brushed his cheek, a small smile on her lips. “Talk to me, Kyo-kun.”

He took a deep breath. “I’m actually pretty terrified, Tohru,” he admitted, Tohru clutching tighter onto his shirt. “Not because I’m afraid I’ll be a bad father. No… it’s nothing like that. It’s just… I’m so scared about the curse. What if our baby is born, and it’s a boy, and… he has my orange hair and my orange eyes and you hold him and he… he--” Kyo stuttered, his throat feeling tight. “He transforms in your arms and you can’t hold him. He’ll live with a burden his whole life and… even if he’s  _ not  _ cursed… he will be the son of the Cat. That will set him up with a prejudice for life.”

A tear rolled down Kyo’s cheek then, Tohru whisking it away with her slender fingers. “Kyo-kun,” said Tohru, holding his face in her hands and making him look into her eyes. “The curse is gone, you don’t have to worry about that anymore. And if we have a son and he does have your hair and your eyes… then that will make me so, so happy. He will not be the son of the Cat. He will be the son of my Kyo-kun; the most handsome, most caring, most amazing person in this world.”

Kyo broke down then, Tohru’s turn now to hold him. He was going to be a father, Tohru by his side as the mother to his child.

He couldn’t think of a better mother for his baby if he tried.

“You’re going to be a wonderful mother,” smiled Kyo, Tohru becoming flustered. “You were born to be a mother, I think.”

“Oh Kyo-kun!” She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him feverishly, his lips kissing her back with the same ferocity. Laying her down on the floor as he climbed over her, he continued to kiss her, his hands travelling down to her stomach. He stopped, pulled away from her lips and looked down.

His hand had come to rest on her stomach, almost like he could feel that something was different. That there indeed was a baby inside of there. He looked back up at her, her face full of joy. “I can’t believe our baby is in there.”

She giggled and pulled him down to her face for a quick kiss. “It doesn’t feel real yet, does it?”

He grinned as he looked down at her. “This means I don’t have to wear protection until after the baby’s born, right?”

She slapped her hands against his chest, an embarrassed squeal escaping from her. He laughed then, kissing her again. She gasped suddenly, making him freeze. “What is it?”

She smiled from ear to ear, stars practically forming in her eyes. “We need to tell Shishou-san!”

Kyo laughed. “He’s gonna lose his damn mind!” Tohru laughed too then. “Wait, aren’t you only a few weeks along? When do people usually start telling others? Oh, you need a doctor. Have you been to the doctor? Aren’t there special vitamins for this?” Kyo sat up as the questions continued to flood his mind. “Do you want to keep working? I can look over our finances to see if I can support us with my job at the dojo if you decide you want to stay home. It’s whatever you want though! I’m not saying you have to stay home or anything like that! I just know you said before that you’d like to be a stay at home mom sometime. We should start saving more. Should we move into a two-bedroom?” Kyo noticed that Tohru had started giggling. “We should make a list of everything we need to do. Do you want to find out the sex or keep it a surprise?”

“Kyo-kun!” Tohru laughed and grabbed his face in her hands. He stopped. “Slow down.” With his face still in her hands, she kissed him, gentle and slow. He felt his muscles gently relax under her kiss. Once she took her lips away, he lazily opened his eyes again. “We have time to talk about all of that. One thing at a time.” 

“One thing at a time,” he repeated, knowing she was right.

“First, I am only a few weeks along, but I’d still like to tell Shishou-san if no one else just yet. Plus, if we go for a visit, then we can take Uo-chan and Hana-chan out to dinner as a thank-you for supporting me during the last couple days."

“Wait, Uo and Hana know already?”

“Well, Uo-chan stayed on the phone with me while I took the home test. She had jokingly said that my nausea could be because I’m pregnant, which is when I started being suspicious. And Hana-chan felt my waves change and called earlier today.”

Kyo had to admit, he was a little jealous that they knew before him, but thinking about how nervous and freaked out she was to tell him, he was begrudgingly happy that she had them to support her. “Well, then you’re right, we should thank them. You could have told me earlier, though. I could tell something was up anyway.”

Tohru looked towards the floor. “I know, Kyo-kun, I just didn’t want to unnecessarily worry you if it turned out to be negative.”

Kyo took her hands in his. “If you’re worried, I want to be able to worry with you. But I understand. And now that you have told me, we can worry  _ and _ be happy together.” Tohru smiled a bit, her eyes wet, and moved her body to snuggle up against him on the floor. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his cheek on her head. They sat there for a few minutes, just holding each other.

Finally, Kyo broke the silence. “Okay, but seriously, we need to get you a doctor.”

Tohru laughed. “Maybe later. Right now, I’m a bit hungry.”

Kyo jumped up, startling Tohru. “You want soba? Are you still nauseous?”

“I am still a bit nauseous, but I think some noodles might be good for me.”

“On it!” Tohru watched as he ran to the kitchen to care of her. An overwhelming sense of love and relief washed over her. Seeing him now, it seemed almost silly to think of how scared she was. Uo-chan and Hana-chan had been so right.

She grabbed her phone and sent a quick text in their group chat

_ Kyo-kun took it really well! He’s truly so wonderful. Thank you both so much for encouraging me and supporting me through the past couple of days. _

Their responses came through almost immediately.

Uo:  _ Yay!! Keep us updated on everything! I’m so excited!! _

Hana: _ That’s wonderful, Tohru. That must be such a relief for you. Please let us know if there’s anything we can do. _

At dinner, they decided to go ahead and call Kazuma that night to plan a weekend trip to tell him in person, and Tohru promised to start researching doctors the next day as long as Kyo allowed her to go to work. She needed to work so they could start saving more anyway.

Later on the phone, Kazuma seemed delighted at the idea of a visit but asked why so suddenly. Kyo tried to shrug it off, saying that it had just been too long, but their last visit was only a month ago. Kazuma seemed to take that as enough but Kyo still worried that he might be suspicious. He could always tell when something was going on with his son. They decided they would take the train on Saturday morning, the day after tomorrow, and return Sunday afternoon.

Kyo and Tohru talked a lot for the rest of the evening, making lists and talking things out, but it still seemed to be happening so fast. Kyo focused on logistics to keep the flood of emotions at bay, but once they kissed goodnight and went to bed, it began to creep in. There was nothing to distract him anymore.

He rolled onto his back and stared up at the darkened ceiling, listening to Tohru’s slow breaths. He cast his eyes downwards towards her stomach. It was covered under the blankets, but he stared nonetheless, fear washing over him. Staring back at the ceiling, he tried to calm his breaths, feeling the dark thoughts starting to creep in.

He was going to be a dad. This little baby of theirs was going to depend on him. How could he do this? How could he have someone so small, so vulnerable, rely on him? Tohru would be a wonderful mother, but what about him? He wanted to be a great dad, but he didn’t know how.

He thought to Kazuma and how he had raised him, all the love and support he had been gifted with while growing up. His mind then went to his biological father… the exact opposite he wanted to be like.

What if… the baby arrives and Tohru holds him and he transforms? Not just into a cat but into the monster. The monster which caged him for so, so long.

Fear gripped at Kyo’s heart. Oh God, what if their baby was a girl? He clutched at the blankets and pulled them higher up his chest. He didn’t even think about that. What if  _ he  _ couldn’t hold her?

He would be the reason his child would lead a life of misery and heartache. Never able to fully love anyone. Get close to anyone. Including… him or Tohru.

It would kill him if his child was cursed. Not because he would love them any less, but because… because he knew what it was like. To live that life. And even if it turns out that his baby isn’t cursed, they’re still the child of the Cat. Not that that mattered now to the people he loved and surrounded himself with, but… he knew some still bore grudges. Some of the older, more traditional members of the Sohma family. His child would be judged from the very beginning.

Trying to settle himself down, he rolled onto his side and looked at Tohru, her peaceful, sleepy face calming his breathing for a moment. Would their child be like Tohru? Caring, kind and compassionate? Or would they be like him? Would they be like how he was when he was younger - angry and full of rage? Untrusting and brash?

He sighed, pulling a strand of hair out of Tohru’s face. God, he loved her. Maybe he could tell her about how he was feeling soon… or maybe it was best if he kept this to himself. He didn’t want to worry her and make her think that he wasn’t happy about this baby.

Because he was.

Despite the fear, the anxiety, the uncertainty… thinking about them sharing this life experience together, both her pregnancy and raising this baby, made some distant part of him feel full and complete. Like he had been waiting for this moment for a long time and just didn’t know what the moment was going to be. Until now.

He already loved this baby with all of his heart and more. He was going to make sure this baby knew nothing but love. He was going to be there on their good and bad days, through the happy times and the sad. He would be there for it all. Alongside his Tohru.

Sleep eventually came for him, his dreams filled with a boy with burnt orange eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! The third and final chapter should be up soon!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We might have gotten a little carried away for this chapter, so it came out to be pretty long! It was super fun, though, so we hope you enjoy! :)

Kyo woke to his alarm early the next morning. For a moment, everything seemed normal before everything from last night hit him again. 

It seemed that his life had been made up of Before and After moments. Before and after his mom died. Before and after the curse broke. Before and after Tohru agreed to move away with him. And now this. His life now - their life together - had shifted the moment she told him she was pregnant, and it would never be the same.

He heard the water running in the bathroom and hoped that Tohru was feeling okay. She had insisted last night that she needed to go to work, but Kyo hated to see her have to go if she was still feeling sick. He hated that she was feeling sick because of him. But she seemed perfectly willing to suffer through the nausea if it meant having his baby.

His baby.

He briefly checked on Tohru before going on his morning run. He could use some fresh air anyway.

Their Friday passed by quickly, each terribly distracted at work. Kyo especially viewed his six-year-old beginner’s class in a whole new light. As the teaching assistant, it was his job to lead the warmups at the beginning of class and walk around correcting students’ forms while his partner led class. He paid more attention today to their little hands and little feet. They were really so small, and these guys had already been growing for six years. How small was a newborn? He hadn’t seen one since Hatori had his baby and had never held one. How could he be a father if he’d never held a newborn? He shook those thoughts away and tried his best to focus on the kids in front of him.

Tohru was mostly distracted by her nausea. Her boss, the office manager, asked if she was feeling okay a few times and told her that she can go home if she needs to, especially since Tohru had supplied the required doctor’s note. Tohru insisted that she stay though and reassured her that it was nothing contagious. She would have to get used to it anyway. It’s not like she could take off all of the next six weeks.  _ Next six weeks. _ Ugh, Tohru honestly wasn’t sure if she could even take another day of this, much less several weeks. But she would do it! She could get through this! With her friends and Kyo-kun on her side, she could do anything! Just as she finished that thought, she felt her stomach lurch and rushed to the bathroom.

Their evening together passed in much the same way as the previous night, filled with logistics and planning since neither of them could take their minds off it anyway.

And then it was Saturday and time to go to Shishou’s place.

As they boarded the train that morning, Kyo suddenly realized that he was a bit nervous. He had no idea why. Kazuma would be happy for them, point blank. Maybe once they tell other people (and told them together, meaning Uo and Hana didn’t count), then that’s what would make it feel real. To see someone else acknowledge what they already knew. 

The train ride was uneventful and before they knew it, they were stepping up to Shishou’s front door. Kyo walked in without knocking, and called out to his dad while they removed their shoes.

“Shishou! We’re here!”

“Welcome!” They heard Kazuma’s voice before they saw him, but then there he was. “Hello, come in! I was just brewing some tea.” Kazuma smiled sweetly, but Kyo and Tohru shared a look.

“I can go check on that,” Tohru said, making her way toward the kitchen but taking a moment to bow to Kazuma. “Thank you so much for having us!”

“Oh, not at all! You’re welcome anytime. Of course, this was a bit sudden. What’s the occasion?”

The way he was smiling made Kyo think that he was on to them but he quickly reassured his father, “No reason. Just missed you is all.” Tohru had blanched at Kazuma’s question but quickly escaped to check on the tea.

Once the tea was ready, they settled around the table in the sitting room and started in on the small talk. Tohru told him about her job as an administrative assistant in a corporate office, and Kyo told him about how he could tell his teaching skills were improving. They discussed the possibility of Kyo coming up to help with a competition that Kazuma’s dojo was participating in.

“When would that be anyway?” Kyo asked.

“It’s being held the second week of November, so it’s a while from now.”

Kyo did the math in his head. November. From now, that would be...eight months. Kyo looked to Tohru. They seemed to have a whole conversation with just their eyes. Kazuma watched on, happy that his son had found someone that he had such a connection with, and hoping that this bit of information would lead them to confirm his suspicions. 

Finally, Kyo spoke. “Um, Shishou, I don’t think November is going to work.”

“Oh? Why’s that?” Perhaps he was laying on the innocence a bit too thick, but it was fun to tease Kyo from time to time.

“Well, actually…” Kyo looked to Tohru.

Tohru continued Kyo’s thought, “Actually, Shishou-san, we did come here for a reason. Although we did miss you! But we have some news. And we wanted to tell you in person.”

“Oh?” 

“Yeah, Shishou,” said Kyo. “The truth is that, um… well…” He looked at Tohru who nodded to him in reassurance. Kyo took a deep breath and turned back to Kazuma straight on. “The truth is, we just found out that… if all goes well over the next eight months… you’re gonna be a grandpa.”

A huge smile spread across Kazuma’s face. “Well, that’s wonderful news! How exciting!” So he had been right in his suspicions, and how wonderful that he was! “So how far along are you?” he asked Tohru.

“Well, our guess is about four or five weeks, but I’ll be making an appointment next week to confirm.”

Kazuma could see Tohru’s elation creeping out, and he loved seeing her so happy. “Wow! Not far along at all.” He turned to his son. “And you? How are you doing with all this?”

Kyo’s eyes widened. “Uh, good. Pretty nervous, to be honest. But… also really happy.” He could tell by Kyo’s face he meant it.

They were still so young. He worried for them a bit, but knew that they would ultimately be okay. If they had each other, they could get through anything, of that he was sure.

“So who else have you told?”

“Well,” Tohru began, “Uo-chan and Hana-chan know, but we’re going to wait until twelve weeks to tell everybody else.”

Kazuma’s heart swelled in his chest. “Oh, I’m so honored that you would trust me with this. It truly means so much to me.” He reached his hands across the table, palms up as an invitation. They each took one and held it tight. “My son and his beautiful wife. If you love this child as much as you love each other, then you will be wonderful parents.”

Kyo was surprised to see that Kazuma’s eyes were wet. He didn’t think he had ever seen his father cry before. Seeing this vulnerability in him, Kyo felt his own eyes sting. He glanced at Tohru, and shouldn’t have been surprised that her own tears had already spilled over.

“Thank you very much, Shishou-san,” Tohru choked out. Kyo couldn’t speak.

“May I hug you both?”

Kyo and Tohru nodded their permission. Kazuma stood and opened his arms, and they both followed suit. He pulled them into him as his excitement overflowed.

All he had ever wanted was for his son to be able to live a happy, normal life with someone who loved and accepted him unconditionally, and here was that dream standing in front of him as a reality. 

In his father’s embrace, Kyo couldn’t hold it in any longer, and his own tears spilled over. All of the anxiety and nerves and joy from the past couple days spilled out of him in the safety of the two people he loved the most. 

The rest of the morning was spent catching up, all of them with much to talk about. Tohru tried to fix some lunch for them all, but she suddenly came down with a bout of nausea. Kyo quickly stepped in and started cooking instead, Tohru reluctantly heading back to the sitting room with a cup of tea to try and settle her stomach.

“You know, I’ve heard about morning sickness before,” said Kazuma, looking at Tohru with a sympathetic smile. “I’ve heard that ginger really helps settle it. Perhaps you can infuse some tea with it? Or maybe some ginger biscuits would do nicely…”

Tohru giggled. “Thank you, Shishou-san! I’ll definitely give anything a go. I hate that I become useless when it happens and Kyo has to step in…”

Kazuma shook his head. “I know it would be of no burden to him whatsoever. To be honest, I’m surprised he let you prepare the tea for us all earlier.”

Tohru laughed. “I really think he will just be the best dad.”

Kazuma smiled. Tohru noticed the raw emotion in his eyes as he looked at her. “Yes. I truly think so too.”

Kyo came into the room carrying a large tray. “Now, it ain’t nothin’ like Tohru would have made. But it’s close enough.”

They all ate lunch together, Kazuma relishing in the smiles Kyo was giving Tohru, the love in his sons’ eyes evident to see. Kazuma had felt at peace about Kyo’s situation pretty much since the curse broke. But this… it gave him a new sense of elation. His son was about to become a father, and he was going to be a grandfather. He pictured them bringing over the baby, him getting to hold the little bundle in his arms. Would the baby look like Kyo? Tohru? He couldn’t wait to see.

***

That night, Kyo and Tohru lay on the futon in the spare room, Tohru completely wrapped around Kyo’s body. They had gotten back quite late from having dinner with Uo and Hana, Tohru spending most of the time in the restaurant wrapped in her friends’ arms, tears streaming down her cheeks. Kyo could only look on as they doted over her, both Uo and Hana throwing smartass comments at him for the majority of the night. Standard, really. He had gotten used to it by now. But, they did seem genuinely happy for Tohru  _ and  _ him.

As he lay there, stroking Tohru’s soft brown hair, he smiled to himself. This was going to be a long eight months, but he would enjoy and embrace every moment of it.

He would make sure of it.

***

**_THREE MONTHS LATER_ **

“Tohru! Are you almost ready?” Kyo called from the bedroom as he zipped up their overnight duffel bag.

“Almost!” She responded, her voice carrying from the bathroom.

Over the past few months, Kyo had started to feel a bit more prepared for the coming addition to their family. Tohru had found a doctor she liked, they had started looking into larger apartments, and they had even started buying baby supplies here and there. It was strange seeing a pack of diapers next to the toilet paper, a handful of baby bottles waiting under the sink, and the stack of onesies in their bedroom that had been slowly accumulating over several weeks. He was still nervous on some days, terrified on others, but he could feel himself becoming more ready for this huge life change.

What he was not ready for was the Sohma family party that night when they planned to tell everyone at once.

They planned to meet up with Yuki and Machi for lunch once they got off the train, as it was important to Tohru that they tell Yuki before everyone else. It had been a while since they’d seen everyone, and it was actually kind of strange that the pregnancy was still a secret. Kyo and Tohru were both taking off work for a three-day weekend to visit everyone and were pretending that it was  _ only _ a visit. Momiji had taken the liberty of organizing a get-together for everyone to see Tohru, for which Kyo was grateful. It meant that they would only need to have two conversations instead of what would feel like two hundred. Despite that, Kyo still expected it to be pretty overwhelming. His family could be...a lot.

The entire former zodiac was expected to be there, minus Kureno and Akito. Kagura was still a maybe, as far as Kyo was aware. Even though he felt a little guilty about it, a part of him hoped she wouldn’t come as it would probably just end up awkward for them.

“Alright, Kyo-kun, I’m ready!” Kyo looked over as Tohru bounced into the bedroom, her hair in a tight ponytail. She was wearing a shirt that was a little loose around her belly, so as to hide the small bump that had begun forming over the last couple of weeks. He was a bit disappointed to see it covered. Since she had started showing, then what had up until then been theoretical, started to become physical. He could actually  _ see _ that bump. He could  _ feel _ that her lower belly had hardened. It made it real.

“Great! I just finished packing.” Kyo glanced at his phone. “We should go ahead and get going if we’re going to catch the early train. You ready?”

“Yep!”

On the train, they discussed when and how to tell their respective employers that they would be taking some time off for a new baby, as well as some plans for the weekend. After a few hours, they were off the train and dropping off their overnight bags at Kazuma’s. He was away at the dojo at the time, but he would be back soon to prepare for the get-together later that evening.

And just like that, it was time to meet Yuki and Machi at the restaurant. 

By the time they arrived, Yuki had already gotten them a table. He waved over the hostess’s shoulder as they came in. Tohru waved back enthusiastically as they made their way to the booth.

Tohru and Kyo sat down across from them, Tohru incredibly excited to see Yuki again. She hadn’t seen Machi in a while, and she was grateful that she came. She wanted to get to know her better; perhaps spend a bit more time with her if she could.

“It’s so nice to see you again,” said Yuki as he beamed at Tohru. “And it’s alright to see you too, Kyo.”

Kyo rolled his eyes. “Yeah yeah. I’m starving. Let’s order.”

Once they had ordered, Kyo noticed that Tohru’s hands were nervously clenching at her skirt under the table. He knew she had wanted to be the one to break the news to Yuki and Machi, but he wasn’t sure how she was going to broach the subject. He would be there if he noticed she was struggling.

Yuki started with small talk, telling them both what he and Machi had been up to lately. They seemed to be pretty busy, not getting to spend an awful lot of time with one another. Kyo was secretly thankful he didn’t have to worry about that when it came to Tohru.

“So, how are you guys going? How’s the new job going, Tohru?” Yuki smiled, thanking the waitress when she placed his meal in front of him, the waitress following suit with the rest of them. Kyo and Machi had started to eat theirs, Tohru not touching hers. Kyo instantly knew why.

“I-It’s going well,” stammered Tohru, blushing.

Yuki noticed, but Machi interjected. “Tell me about your new job, Tohru. I haven’t got to hear about it.”

Tohru was glad to be distracted with Machi’s question, answering her animatedly. Machi smiled politely as Tohru enthusiastically told her about her job, Yuki side-eyeing Tohru like he had a feeling something was going on.

“And Kyo, the dojo?” asked Yuki. Kyo was surprised at the normalcy of his question. No smartass remark to be heard.

Kyo dove into what he had been up to at the dojo, Machi listening with more interest than Yuki was. Damn rat.

“Tohru, you look pale. Is everything alright? Are you feeling unwell?” asked Yuki, his gyoza hanging in midair, clutched in his chopsticks.

She swallowed loudly and looked from Machi to Yuki to Kyo, her face now incredibly flustered. Kyo nodded subtly in encouragement, giving her thigh a tight squeeze.

“Well,” started Tohru, her voice a few octaves higher. “You see, I’m so grateful you two were able to meet us here today. It’s been so long since we’ve seen you both, but… this lunch is extra important, as I have something to tell you."

Yuki placed down his gyoza and Machi put down her chopsticks. Machi looked at Tohru with a confused expression, whilst Yuki looked gravely concerned. “What is it Tohru? Is everything alright?”

“Everything’s fine!” squealed Tohru, her hands flapping about in front of her. “Even more than fine, really! Because… what I want to tell you both is… Kyo and I are going to have a baby. I’m pregnant.”

Machi’s hand flew to her mouth as Yuki’s eyes widened, his mouth agape. Tohru looked down at her untouched meal, her face so red she could have cooked her piece of fish twice over.

After a moment of silence, Yuki broke into a huge smile, his expression truly joyous. “My goodness,” said Yuki breathlessly. “That is such wonderful news. Fantastic news. Congratulations!”

“Congratulations,” smiled Machi warmly. “I’m so very happy for the both of you.”

“Is it still early?” asked Yuki. “Wait, is that why--”

“We’re gathering the Sohma’s tonight? Yeah,” interrupted Kyo with a nod. “We thought it best to tell them all at once.”

“But I wanted to tell you and Machi before we told them,” smiled Tohru, reaching over to grasp Yuki’s hand. He gave it a tight squeeze. “It was important to me that you knew first out of all of them.”

“I’m so grateful that you chose to tell us,” Yuki said, wavering emotion in his voice. “I truly can’t wait to meet him. Or her.”

The rest of the lunch was spent with Tohru answering questions about her pregnancy, Machi especially interested in which foods Tohru was turned off by.

Once their meals were finished, they hopped out of their booth and walked outside, the air quite humid for this time of year. Tohru walked on ahead with Machi, both the girls chatting animatedly about what names they thought sounded cute. Yuki fell into line with Kyo and grasped him tightly on the shoulder, Kyo stopping abruptly and looking at Yuki with wide eyes.

“Congratulations Kyo,” said Yuki, a genuine smile on his face. “I truly mean that.”

“Thank you,” said Kyo, giving him a small smile.

“You just had to try and beat me at  _ something _ didn’t you,” scoffed Yuki, grinning at him. “Well, looks like this is the one thing you beat me at. Oh, and you definitely beat me at which two people can be the loudest whilst--”

“Shuddup!” screeched Kyo, jumping back with a furious blush over his face. “I wasn’t trying to beat you at anything, and especially not things like  _ that _ , you damn rat!”

Yuki began walking to catch up to the girls. “Well you have without even trying, you stupid cat. I’m surprised this didn’t happen sooner with that way you two go at it.”

Kyo might as well have passed away, his soul escaping to a plane where he didn’t feel the tidal wave of embarrassment crashing over him. He wanted to wring that rodent into oblivion, Yuki’s grin making it ten times worse.

They eventually made their way back to Kazuma’s house, Kyo blushing all the way. Kazuma and Momiji were already there making sure that everything was ready. Momiji nearly tackled Tohru when he saw her, and Kyo almost had to pull him off of her lest he hurt the baby.

“Oh, calm down, Kyo!” Momiji exclaimed. “Just because you get to hug her all the time!”

Kyo blushed as Yuki muttered with a chuckle, “Yeah,  _ hug _ her, alright.” Kyo glared at the rat. Damn, he could really punch them both right now. There was something about his family that seemed to bring out the worst in him. They really knew how to get under his skin.

“So how can I help?” Tohru asked once Momiji finally released her.

“Well, all of the food is ready since we all chipped in to have it catered, but we’re still arranging it if you want to help with that!”

“You all chipped in?” Tohru said in a small voice. Her eyes were watery. Kyo sighed quietly. This had been happening more often along with the nausea. He began rubbing small circles on her back to comfort her. 

“Well, yeah,” Momiji replied as if it was obvious. “No one can cook as well as you, and we weren’t going to make you cook for your own party!”

Tohru’s tears spilled over and she hiccuped. “I’m so grateful.”

Momiji took her hands in his. “We all love you so much, Tohru. Of course we want to spoil you whenever we can.”

Tohru started to sob a bit then and wiped her tears quickly away. This would probably keep happening throughout the night. Kyo made a mental note to keep her hydrated. 

A few minutes later, Tohru had pulled herself together and joined Momiji and Machi in arranging the buffet of food in the kitchen. Kyo, Yuki, and Kazuma had gathered together in the living room to stay out of the way. 

“So, how was lunch?” Shishou asked them both, and Kyo could hear the double meaning in his words. 

“Informative,” Yuki replied, nodding slyly.

Kyo looked between both of them before saying to Kazuma, “We told them,” and then to Yuki, “He knows.”

“Ah, good.”

“Good to know.”

They both seemed a bit relieved to know they could talk freely about the news of the day.

“Exciting, isn’t it?” Kazuma said.

“I know some people who are going to lose their minds tonight. Not the least of which being this guy.” Yuki gestured to Kyo, who rolled his eyes. “How are you doing with it, though, really?” Kyo was surprised to hear the question come from Yuki.

“Pretty well, I guess. It’s stressful, but I think we’re starting to feel more prepared.” Kyo paused, considering whether he should mention this next bit. Finally, he admitted, “I do have this weird fear of the curse coming back, but…” He shrugged, trying to make it seem light. To his surprise, Yuki didn’t laugh or make fun of him.

“Yeah, I know what you mean. Sometimes I hug Machi just to make sure it’s really gone.”

Kazuma gave them a sad smile but stayed silent.

Yuki’s openness gave Kyo the confidence to continue. “I think the worst thing that could happen is if this kid is born, and then transforms into the Cat’s true form right there in the delivery room.”

Kazuma’s eyebrows crinkled and Yuki sighed before saying, “Yeah, that would be pretty bad. But the good news is that the odds of that happening are pretty close to zero.”

Kyo grimaced. “I guess. Even if that’s not the case, though, there are still some people in the Sohma family who will look down on my child just because he’s mine.” Yuki grimaced then, and they were all silent for a moment. 

“Those people lead insignificant lives,” Kazuma began, his voice firm, “You’ve outgrown them and continue to do so. Do not trouble yourself over people who are not worth the very ground you walk on.” Yuki and Kyo both looked at him, the brooding anger beneath his words a bit startling. Kyo took a deep breath and repeated his father’s words in his head, memorizing them. He wanted to be able to hear those words again whenever he started thinking of those people. Kazuma was right. Kyo had outgrown them. He needed to remember that.

_ Knock knock knock. _

“Ah!” Kazuma said as he rose to his feet. “Our first guests have arrived!” He was perfectly cheerful, as if he hadn’t been refreshingly ferocious a moment ago.

“You ready?” Yuki asked Kyo as Kazuma left to get the door.

Kyo exhaled and shook his head.

Kyo and Yuki hopped up and headed over to the foyer as Kazuma opened the door, Haru and Rin standing outside. Haru was dressed in his usual getup, looking like he hadn’t changed a bit since high school. Rin was wearing a low cut dress, her long black hair loose and falling to her lower back.

Tohru heard the commotion and came to see who was at the door. Haru smiled warmly at her, whereas Rin looked like she was about to burst. Like she was conflicted with so many emotions she didn’t know how to react.

Tohru ran over, Kyo having a mini heart attack over her running in socks, and hugged both Haru and Rin, Rin eventually easing into Tohru’s hug and giving her a slight smile.

The guests filtered in one by one after that. Ayame, Shigure, and Hatori arrived together, to Hatori’s dismay, Ayame almost breaking down the door as he twirled inside and clapped loudly to be served food right away. Hatori murmured that his newborn daughter was more well behaved than Ayame was, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.

Kisa and Hiro arrived next. Kisa was absolutely thrilled to see Tohru, both of them squealing when they laid eyes on one another. Kisa had actually sought out Kyo and gave him a tight hug too, Kyo awkwardly patting her back, not knowing how to react.

Lastly, Ritsu arrived, apologising profusely for being the last one to show up. He explained to Tohru and Kyo that Kagura couldn’t make the party and was sorry that she had to miss it. Kyo was secretly relieved. He didn’t want to have to deal with that awkwardness tonight, not when tonight meant so much to him. To Tohru.

Everyone was fawning over Tohru, everyone so thrilled to see her again. Kyo smiled at her as she spoke with joy in her voice, her smile so exuberant it made his heart hurt. Haru sidled up next to Kyo, giving him a nod. “How’s things at the dojo?”

Kyo told Haru about his classes and his teachings, basically everything he had been telling Yuki earlier. Kyo then asked Haru how he was going, Haru looking off into the distance like he was remembering some distant memory. “Everything’s great with me. And Rin. She’s really come a long way, you know? She is smiling more. Laughing more. Sometimes she has her moments but…”

“I get it,” said Kyo. “I get what she’s going through. But it’s good that she has you to support her. To lean on.”

“That’s very wise Kyo,” said Haru plainly. “How you have changed.”

“Shut it cowboy,” snapped Kyo, earning a grin from Haru.

Tohru walked over to Kyo, grabbing on to his shirt. She smiled up at him. “Do you think we should… get everyone together now?”

Kyo nodded, his hands starting to become clammy. This was it. Letting his whole family know what they had been keeping under wraps. Yuki came over and distracted Haru, leading him back to Rin and the rest of the group. It was just Kyo and Tohru standing in front of the food now. All that was left to do was…

“Excuse me,” squeaked Tohru, everyone still chatting happily amongst themselves.

“EXCUSE ME!” boomed Kyo, everyone turning to face them. He nodded at Tohru, her brown eyes already starting to tear up.

“Thank you all for coming today,” said Tohru, her face going red. “It really means so much to me, to us. It’s been much too long.”

“Here here!” shouted Shigure, many of them raising their glasses to her.

“We thought while we’re in town, seeing all of you again for the first time in a long time, that it would also be great to… share some news with you all.”

Their faces were all blank, staring on at Tohru with anticipation. Kazuma had a small smile on his face, as did Yuki and Machi. Haru scratched his head and grinned. “What, are you pregnant or something?”

Rin slapped at Haru’s arm and scolded him loudly. “You can’t just say things like that, Haru!”

Tohru nervously began playing with her shirt, biting her lip. Kyo knew the penny would drop in a matter of seconds and he braced himself for it.

Rin turned to them, her eyes wide. “Wait, you’re not pregnant, are you?”

Haru shook his head. “Nah there’s no way. She doesn’t have a bump.”

Tohru, in a stroke of confidence, pulled her shirt tight against her belly and stood on her side. There, you could see plain as day, her little bump. Their baby.

There was a moment of silence, nobody moving a muscle.

And then in a split second, everyone seemed to erupt, all of them running over to them and hugging and patting them both, the noise going to another level due to the screams and the squeals.

Tohru was engulfed by the girls and Momiji, all of them placing their hands gently on her bump.

Kyo found himself laughing genuinely, actually happy for this chaotic moment. It was the reaction he had hoped for but wasn’t sure they would get. For once, his family had lived up to his expectations. They were happy for them. For this baby of theirs. And that’s all he could ever ask for.

Rapid fire questions started coming then from every direction.

“How far along are you?”

“When do you find out the sex?”

“Does this mean you’re moving back to town?”

“How did you find out?”

“How long have you known?”

And then, much closer, Hatori’s voice rose above the rest as he spoke directly to Kyo. “Congratulations. Had you been trying for a baby?”

Kyo’s eyes widened. “Nope!” He replied a little too loudly.

“That must have been a shock then.” Hatori smiled a bit and Kyo let loose a nervous chuckle. “It makes sense, though. You're both still so young, I would have been more surprised if you  _ had _ been trying.”

“So young indeed!” Shigure interjected. “It seems like just yesterday, you were two bashful high school students living in my house, both so oblivious to the budding feelings growing between you!”

Kyo’s face quickly heated as Shigure spoke. “Shut up!"

“Ah, Gure-san stands corrected!” Ayame exclaimed, popping out of nowhere. “For it seems that Kyonkichi is  _ still _ quite bashful indeed!”

Kyo huffed and crossed his arms over his chest, trying his best to control himself, desperate not to give them any more ammunition.

He turned back to the crowd surrounding Tohru. She looked downright elated to be answering questions. Honestly, he understood why. She talked to Yuki and Momiji at least once a week, and Kisa called regularly too. He knew it had been hard for her to keep this from them for so long when it seemed to be consuming much of their lives at the moment.

“I had been feeling sick for a couple days,” Tohru was saying, “and I was talking to Uo-chan on the phone when she suggested that could be why. That’s when I started to wonder. So I got a home test, which was positive, and then I went to the doctor who confirmed it. Then I told Kyo-kun.” Tohru beamed up at him and he couldn’t help smiling.

“You didn’t tell him right when you were suspicious?” Haru asked. 

“She didn’t want to worry me,” Kyo supplied.

“But I think I’ll tell him sooner next time,” Tohru said sweetly.

Kyo blanched.  _ Next time. _ He hadn’t even considered that there could or would be a next time. Sure, he would like to have a big family, but… Wow. This was real.

“Take a breath, Kyo,” Yuki’s voice brought him back. “That doesn’t have to be for a long time yet.” Everyone laughed while Kyo glared at Yuki, his face heating. 

“Damn rat,” he muttered. 

“So when are you due?” Momiji asked excitedly, and Kyo welcomed the distraction.

“My official due date is November 17th, but we’ll see!” She giggled. God, she was so cute. And so happy. He should bring her to visit more often. 

“Hey, are you hungry?” Kyo muttered to her, suddenly remembering that she didn’t eat much of her lunch.

She looked caught off guard for a second before saying, “Yes, actually!” as if she was just noticing. 

He heard someone start to say something but cut them off. “No more questions until Tohru gets to eat!” Kyo gently led her away from the crowd and over to the beginning of the buffet.

“And as her bodyguard declares, we must obey!” Shigure called behind them. Kyo ignored him as people started filing in behind them in line. Tohru tried protesting that everyone else should go first, but Kyo was having none of it, and neither was anyone else. Everyone insisted that she go ahead, being as she was the guest of honor  _ and _ the only one there eating for two. And then, just like that, he saw her bottom lip start to pout and quiver and her shoulders slump. The early signs of the water works.

“Okay, hey,” he started muttering to her, rubbing her arms. Her face crumpled then and she fell into his chest in a heap of sobs. He wrapped his arms around her as those around them started to ask what was wrong and try to reassure her.

“I’m - just - so - gratefuuuul,” she choked out in between sobs. “I feel - so - luhuhuved.” Kyo gently rubbed her back. He noticed Momiji and Kisa tearing up too, and several others wore tender smiles. Those two wrapped themselves around her, too, making a Tohru sandwich. Several others followed, creating an enormous group hug until Kyo could hardly breathe.

“We do love you, Tohru,” Momiji said.

“So much!” Kisa added.

Yuki chimed in then, “You’ve done more for us than you could ever know.”

They stayed like that for a few moments. Kyo was happy to let her have as much time as she needed, but everyone else was squishing him so hard, he was starting to cramp up. “Hey, Tohru,” he muttered into her hair. “You want a riceball?” Her sobs stopped immediately and she looked up at him, her eyes red and her face wet.

“Riceball?” she whimpered.

“Yeah. They’re on the table over there.” She nodded pitifully and sniffed. Finally, people started to loosen their grip on the couple as they realized she was okay again.

Kyo held onto her hand as they went to the table with the riceballs, Tohru still sniffling and clutching onto Kyo’s arm.

“Excuse me, Kyo?” Kazuma appeared out of nowhere, making Kyo jump. “Mind if I steal Tohru away for a moment?”

Kyo looked to Tohru and then back to Kazuma. “Uh, sure. Can you make sure she eats these please?” Kyo said, giving Kazuma the plate of riceballs.

“Tohru, will you take a walk with me?”

Tohru nodded enthusiastically. “Of course, Shishou-san!”

Kyo went back to the others, watching Tohru carefully as she left the room with Kazuma. He hoped she wouldn’t choke on the riceballs.

Kazuma led Tohru down a hallway and into a spare room, much of it empty besides a single futon and some boxes stacked up against the wall. Kazuma turned on the light as he went in, Tohru following in behind him, a confused look on her face.

“Shishou-san, is everything alright?”

He smiled at her as he opened a cupboard, pulling out a small gift box while still holding her plate of riceballs with his other hand. “Yes, of course. I just wanted to give you this away from everyone else. When you and Kyo came down here a few months ago to break the news to me, I bought this the next day. I do hope it’s okay. Please, open it.”

Tohru’s bottom lip wobbled as she shakily took the box. “S-Shishou-san, I can’t p-possibly accept--”

“Please,” urged Kazuma with a smile. “It would make me so happy if you did.”

Tohru tried to swallow her impending sobs and gently opened the lid, looking at what was inside. It looked like a few bundled up pieces of material, all wrapped together in a ribbon. She placed the box down on a nearby empty shelf and pulled out the bundles, one of them falling open.

“It’s a range of martial arts onesies,” explained Kazuma. “A green, a brown, and a black belt version. One for every year until the baby turns three. I thought, even if it’s a girl, it would still be wonderful for you to give them to her. If you don’t like them--”

“SHISHOU-SAN!” Tohru wailed, clutching the three onesies to her chest, tears spilling out everywhere. “This is the most beautiful, most thoughtful, most amazing gift--”

He started to laugh, his face beaming with happiness. “I’m so glad you like them. I want this room to be theirs if they ever come and stay with Grandpa, you know? Which I would encourage… wholeheartedly. I wanted to start collecting some things, but thought I’d give you that first as a gift.”

Tohru then launched into a hug with Kazuma, his eyes going wide, caught off guard. He wrapped his arms around her after a moment, smiling to himself. She whispered, her voice muffled by his robe, “Thank you, Shishou-san. You will be an amazing grandpa. And I am so, so grateful that our baby gets to have  _ you  _ in their lives.”

Kazuma found himself becoming emotional at that, picturing a little granddaughter or grandson sleeping here in this room, him able to tell them bedtime stories and play games with them. Spoil them rotten.

“Now, Tohru,” said Kazuma. “You will notice that I’m still holding this plate of riceballs and didn’t even drop them during your hug. I think that tells you enough of how much I want to face Kyo’s wrath if you don’t eat these…” He laughed, holding the plate out to her. “At least one. Then we’re both covered.”

She giggled, wiping away her tears. “Yes, of course!”

Grabbing the riceball, she took a bite, relishing in the taste. Kazuma smiled, now heading towards the light switch. “Let’s head back out to the others, yes?”

After Shishou stole her away, Kyo had started gathering his own plate when a small voice came up behind him.

“Congratulations! That’s exciting, huh?” He turned to see Kisa smiling up at him. She’d grown so much in the last few years, but he still dwarfed her.

“Yeah, it’s crazy.” Kyo scooped some noodles onto his plate.

“Were you shocked?”

Kyo let out a nervous chuckle. “Yeah, shocked is probably the right word.”

As he continued gathering food onto his plate, he noticed Kisa fiddling awkwardly with her shirt. She seemed to be trying to think of what to say next. Kyo had to admit, he wasn’t giving her much to work with. This had been happening about every other time they saw each other. She would try to make small talk with him until it just fizzled and they both moved on. He couldn’t understand why she did that. She’d always seemed so frightened of him growing up, not that he ever tried to dissuade her from feeling that way.

“Uh, how’s school?” he offered. “You’re graduating this year, right?”

“Oh, yes! Things are getting pretty hectic. It’s coming up quick!”

“Well, enjoy it while you can.”

Silence again.

“Um, do you like teaching martial arts?”

“Yeah, I do.” A smile spread across his face as he thought about it. “It’s pretty cool seeing people get so excited about their improvements, especially kids.”

“And now you’ll get to see that in your own child as they improve in the things they love!”

That caught Kyo off guard. She was right. He would get to teach his baby so much, and get excited with them when they get it right, and get sad with them when they get it wrong and teach them how to handle those emotions.

“Yeah, I...I guess you’re right.” He turned and continued down the table of food to hide the emotion on his face.

“It’s great that you’ve found something you love doing. I'm still not sure.”

“Yeah, Tohru’s not too sure about that either, career-wise. But I think she’s gonna be a stay-at-home mom for a bit after the baby’s born.”

Kisa squeaked. “Oh, it’s just so exciting! I can’t wait to visit!”

“I’m sure we’ll appreciate the help,” Kyo said, laughing a bit. 

They paused, but the silence was a bit less awkward this time. 

“Hey, Kyo?”

“Yeah?”

“Will you teach me how to throw a punch?”

Kyo’s head shot up. “Is someone bothering you at school?” He wasn’t that close to Kisa, but he would throw down anyone who messed with her. Her sweet gentleness reminded him of Tohru, and dammit, he would protect that sweetness.

She waved her hands hurriedly. “No, no, nothing like that! I’m just curious is all. Everyone should know how to punch, I think. For emergencies.”

“Oh. Yeah, I can do that. Anytime.”

“Cool. Maybe tomorrow? Tohru and I were going to try and get together anyway.”

“Sure.”

“Thank you very much!” She gave him a sweet smile before walking off.

“Kyo!” Tohru hugged Kyo from behind, his noodles nearly sliding from his plate.

“Hey!” He turned and smiled at her, her face positively beaming. “How did you go? Did you eat something?”

She nodded. “Yes! Oh Kyo, Shishou-san is going to be the best grandpa. I have so much to tell you!”

Kyo laughed nervously. “I hope it’s all good things. I hope he didn’t show you pictures of me as a kid or somethin’.”

Tohru’s eyes widened, her fists going up to her mouth. “Oh my goodness! That’s a great idea! I’ll go ask Shishou-san--”

“Oh no you don’t!” laughed Kyo as he grabbed her with his free hand, pulling her into a hug.

She giggled, giving him a swift kiss. He would never,  _ ever _ , get tired of those. “I love you so much Kyo-kun.”

He then gave her a kiss, giving her nose a small nibble. “I love you too Tohru. So, so much.”

“Okay lovebirds, let’s get a photo of everyone together! A big family photo!” yelled Momiji, herding everyone into a group surrounding Kyo and Tohru. “Who’s camera can we use?”

“I would offer mine, but I’d be afraid you would accidentally go into my photo album! Oh gosh, you do  _ not  _ want to go in there!” cried Shigure, his arm flying up over his eyes.

“Before we all throw up,” said Hatori, Shigure feigning offence. “Feel free to use my phone.”

“Okay!” said Momiji, propping Hatori’s phone up on the mantle. He set the timer and quickly ran back to the group, crouching down in the front. “Say cheese everyone!”

Kyo quickly put down his plate and joined everyone saying cheese, the camera flash going off. Momiji ran over to the phone and had a look at the photo. “It’s beautiful! Oh Tohru, you can totally see your pregnancy glow in it!”

Momiji showed Tohru the photo, and Kyo instantly knew what was going to happen. She burst into tears, Momiji and Kisa there to catch her as she fell forward into an uncontrollable sob. “I will t-t-t-treasure this ph-ph-photo forever-r-r-r…”

Kyo got her a glass of water and made her drink, her tears still flowing down her cheeks, Momiji and Kisa running off to grab some tissues. He wiped at the tears and kissed her nose, smiling at her. “You are so loved, Tohru. I hope you see that.”

She nodded and sniffed. “Y-Yes I do!”

Kyo smoothed her hair out behind her shoulder. “Our baby is going to have all these people to love them too.”

He held Tohru in his arms as she continued to cry. He never pictured him being able to have a child, let alone embrace the woman he loved. Yet, here he was, living out his dream. Living out his wish.

Tohru would forever be his granted wish.

But this baby would be their miracle.

Their new beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end! We had so much fun working on this and hope you did too! We're working on a couple pregnancy fics for their other two children as well, so if you enjoyed this, please watch out for those too! :)
> 
> p.s. We couldn't resist having that bit with Kisa and Kyo. We just want them to be friends, dammit!!

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked this, please leave a review or subscribe! We have the remaining chapters already written so expect those soon!


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